Charles Yarish1

Jang K. Kim1,4

Simona Augyte1

Sarah Redmond1,3

Paul Dobbins2

Yuanzi Huo1,5

George Kraemer1,6

1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

University of Connecticut2Ocean Approved, LLC.

3Maine Sea Grant, University of Maine4 Incheon National University5Shanghai Ocean University

6Purchase College

Uses of Seaweeds

•Food•Feed

•Fertilizer

•Medicine•Cosmetics

•Textile

•Paper•Leather

•Major sources of phycocolloids

(alginates, carrageenans & agars)•Biofuels

(courtesy of Ocean Approved)

• Class Phaeophyceae (Brown Seaweeds)

• Order Laminariales

-Family Laminariaceae

-Genus: Saccharina

-Family Alariaceae

www.algaebase.org

S. latissima

S. digitata

Alaria

S. japonica

Nereocystis

Macrocystis

Data from China Fishery Statistical Year Book (2003-2013)

Kelp Cultivation in China

Grow Out Stage-Greenhouse:Shallow tanks with running seawater, shade light to 25-50µE-Laboratory/Indoor facility

How Do You Grow Kelp? Initiate Laboratory Cultures

Collect Wild Specimens with Desirable Characters

Isolate Spores

Produce Mass Cultures of Appropriate Life History Stage

Induce Spore Release or Hybridization

Seed Lines for Out-planting

Grow Out

Harvest

Economically and ecologically important kelps of the Northeast.

Percent of Saccharina latissimasporophytes with sorus tissue. Data derived from tagged populations in Long Island Sound. (Yarish et al, 1990)

Wild-sourced seeding with meiospores

Productivity

~ 1,752 kg per 100 m longline (Dec. – May growing

season)

Productivity (sugar kelp)

*29.2 – 116.7 MT FW ha-1

(Dec. – May growing season)

* Assumption: 1.5 or 6.0 m spacing between longlines

Productivity, Tissue Nitrogen and Nitrogen Removal

Western LIS

Western LIS

Western LIS

• Saccharina latissima

• 2012-2013 growing season

• 1.5 m spacing of lines

• Sugar kelp: ~180 kg N ha-1

(Dec. – May)

Nursery(1 month)

Open Water(5 months)

Hybridization techniques

Hybridization techniques

Hybridization techniques

Hybridization techniques

Hybridization techniques

mass-cultivation

clone cultures under red light Gametophyte isolation

Hybridization techniques

Hybridization techniques

Advantages:•Long term maintenance of young sporophytes•Clean cultures can be maintained at high densities with minimum maintenance •Use to select for fastest growing plants in crossing experimentsDisadvantages:•Plants must be manually attached to seed string for out-planting

Tumble Culture of Kelp

Hybridization techniques

X

Hybridization techniques

X

L L S S

Hybridization techniques

X

S S

L L

Crosses: X

S S

S L X

L S X

L LX

Hybridization techniques

S S X

S L X

L S X

L LX

Hybridization techniques

S S X

S L X

L S X

L LX

Hybridization techniques

S S X

S L X

L S X

L LX

Saccharina latissima forma angustissimafrom southern Maine

Saccharina latissima forma angustissimafrom southern Maine

Wild-sourced seeding vs. Hybridization

Wild-sourced seeding Hybridization techniques

Nursery technology

simple complex

Wild-sourced seeding vs. HybridizationWild-sourced seeding Hybridization techniques

Nursery technology

simple complex

Seeding timing depending on wild material

flexible

Wild-sourced seeding vs. Hybridization

Wild-sourced seeding Hybridization techniques

Nursery technology

simple complex

Seeding timing depending on wild material

flexible

Offspring morphology

unpredictable predictable

Where to buy and how much?

Project Partners

• GreenWave & Noank Aquaculture Cooperative

• Marine Biology Laboratory (Scott Lindell)

• C.A. Goudey & Associates (Cliff Goudey)

• Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science and Technology Education

Center (BRASTEC)

• Growers: Ocean Approved, Thimble Island Oyster Co., DJ King

Lobsters, Maine Fresh Sea Farms, Maine Coast Sea Vegetables

• Norwalk Community College

• UCONN School of Business

• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Hauke Kite-Powell)

• Purchase College

• Rocking the Boat

• Connecticut Sea Grant College Program

• NOAA SBIR I and II (Ocean Approved)

• U.S. EPA Long Island Sound Study's Long Island Sound

Futures Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

• Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center

• U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of

Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

• University of Connecticut

Acknowledgements